Air Band antenna

[WRXR255]

My Boofwang AR-5RM has the capacity to monitor the air bands (118.0 to 136.975) so I programmed the local airports just to listen to sometimes.

Now, being those are AM is there an antenna that will better my RX from the 701/G that is on it now?

Scanning through I can pick a lot up ok, but it tends to be really "crunchy" for lack of a better term often.

Just curious if a different antenna might improve that, or if its probably not going to matter.

[WRQC527]

57 minutes ago, WRXR255 said:

My Boofwang AR-5RM has the capacity to monitor the air bands (118.0 to 136.975) so I programmed the local airports just to listen to sometimes.

Now, being those are AM is there an antenna that will better my RX from the 701/G that is on it now?

Scanning through I can pick a lot up ok, but it tends to be really "crunchy" for lack of a better term often.

Just curious if a different antenna might improve that, or if its probably not going to matter.

Antennas don't care if they're if they're listening to AM or FM. They care about resonance. Air band is in the VHF neighborhood, and lower frequency than the amateur radio two-meter band, so an antenna would need to be resonant at lower frequencies than a typical amateur dual-band HT antenna. A quarter-wave antenna for air bands is around 24 inches long, versus about 19 inches for an equivalent two-meter quarter-wave antenna. That's why it sounds "crunchy". It's not resonant on the air band. I have an Icom handheld airband transceiver with a rubber duck antenna specifically tuned for the air band. It has a BNC connector. Perhaps you could find such an antenna that you could afix to your Baofeng that would be more effective than the stock antenna. Check out suppliers of aviation handheld radios and perhaps they'll have replacement antennas available for you to purchase. Be mindful of the antenna connector on your radio as you might need an adapter, and that an air band antenna will be pretty useless as a TX antenna for the other bands your radio can transmit on.

[WRXR255]

5 hours ago, WRQC527 said:

Antennas don't care if they're if they're listening to AM or FM. They care about resonance. Air band is in the VHF neighborhood, and lower frequency than the amateur radio two-meter band, so an antenna would need to be resonant at lower frequencies than a typical amateur dual-band HT antenna. A quarter-wave antenna for air bands is around 24 inches long, versus about 19 inches for an equivalent two-meter quarter-wave antenna. That's why it sounds "crunchy". It's not resonant on the air band. I have an Icom handheld airband transceiver with a rubber duck antenna specifically tuned for the air band. It has a BNC connector. Perhaps you could find such an antenna that you could afix to your Baofeng that would be more effective than the stock antenna. Check out suppliers of aviation handheld radios and perhaps they'll have replacement antennas available for you to purchase. Be mindful of the antenna connector on your radio as you might need an adapter, and that an air band antenna will be pretty useless as a TX antenna for the other bands your radio can transmit on.

Thanks!

I have no need or want to TX on those bands, just decent reception so that was never an issue.

Im a dumbass because exactly what you mentioned, looking at suppliers of aviation handhelds, EVER came to me.

OY!

[WRQC527]

8 hours ago, WRXR255 said:

Thanks!

I have no need or want to TX on those bands, just decent reception so that was never an issue.

Im a dumbass because exactly what you mentioned, looking at suppliers of aviation handhelds, EVER came to me.

OY!

Another suggestion is simply a longer dual-band antenna. While it still isn't that close to resonant on the air band, there's more antenna. More steel in the air, as some amateurs are fond of saying. I have a Uniden BC75XLT handheld scanner that covers the air band. With the short stock antenna it works pretty well, but just having a longer antenna it works better. The Diamond SR77CA is a popular choice. That way you retain the ability to transmit while getting somewhat better air band reception.